"From my first day of school I had an eye on them," said Esparza, 17, who tried out three times before making the cut.

If earning a spot on the Cardinals hip-hop team is the ultimate goal, then staying on it is the ultimate sacrifice.

Practices last for hours. Performances are about three minutes. No college scholarships are available. But the team has won three straight state championships and will be seeking a fourth in March.

The team from Blue Island recently placed eighth at a national competition in Florida, a performance that will be featured in an ESPN special on Sunday.

"The biggest thing they get is to learn that hard work does pay off and they can do anything they put their minds to," adviser Kerri Moses said. "They've learned the discipline and what it takes to be successful and how to balance their time and manage their work."

"It's a big commitment," Esparza said. "I gave up hanging out with my friends and going out because I need the time to practice."

Hip-hop dance, more than 25 years old, is an artistic genre that illustrates the edgy music.

The Eisenhower dancers turn and twist their bodies, punch fists, bounce their shoulders and move their arms in different poses. They chant and yell to each other, "work it out," "keep it tight," "pick it up." They move quickly -- shuffling and stomping their feet, stepping forward and back, moving their arms in unison. As they get down, they make silly faces to illustrate the lyrics.

Moses was teaching special education at the school in 2003 when she learned a new adviser was needed. She volunteered because she had a background in competitive dance.

Watching team members practice for the first time, Moses saw they were passionate but lacked guidance and their choreography needed editing. She told them to stop incorporating moves from different dance forms and concentrate on hip-hop moves -- such as freezes and poses that show attitude and animation, popping (quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause jerks in the body), drops (suddenly lowering the body toward the floor) and fast-paced upper body moves and complicated footwork.

"I saw their potential and thought, 'wow, this group can be pushed and really become something,'" she said. "The kids were willing to work hard and give 110 percent."

Moses recruited a professional choreographer and eventually the students made adjustments and added their own touches. Four years ago they started competing and each year have improved, Moses said.

Even though they're in the spotlight for two to four minutes, the team works to make sure their routines are perfect. During the school year, they practice about three hours a day, five or six days a week, Moses said. If there's one mistake in the steps, they start over. They break into pairs and dance for each other, taking in criticism and modifying techniques. The group even works through the summer, taking only a month off from practicing and performing.

They devote the time and effort knowing that there are no hip-hop dance scholarships to major universities and few opportunities in the professional dance world. But what they do get is recognition.

When they perform at the school's home basketball games, people pile in at halftime just to see their show. Throughout the year, they make appearances at local community events such as fairs and dance camps.

"In Illinois, we are well-known," said Steven Esparza, 17, Priscilla's cousin, and one of two male dancers for the Cardinals. "When we walk into competitions, people know who we are."

They won their first championship in 2006 and have been consistent every year since. Which makes defending the title that much more difficult, said Alyn Ward, 16, a junior who has been on the team for two years.

"The judges are looking at us more closely and we have to be perfect," he said.

"Through it all, they remain humble," Moses said of the 13-member team, which adds new students each year. "They are always courteous and stand up for other first-place teams [at competitions]. They represent the school so well."

Priscilla Esparza said that after she graduates, she will probably come back to help new dancers get up to speed, a tradition started by previous team members.

"Performing is amazing," she said. "It's the best feeling you can have. You walk out and people are cheering and screaming. I want to share what I've learned with others, so they can have that feeling, too."